This work was composed for a large choral ensemble of approximately 90 voices with the capability of dividing into two choirs. The division that actually does occur in this piece is an "internal" division rather than an "external" one. Therefore, it is not necessary for the singers to be physically divided into two separate groups with a space between them, but rather, the singers may remain in their usual arrangement in the chorus and sing the double chorus section with the effect of an internal, reflective type of sound rather than the more commonly used antiphonal sound with a spatial effect created by physical separation of the two choruses. Based on a poem by Thomas Merton, the text speaks of the anticipation of events yet to be fulfilled. In more specific terms, the poem is an Advent poem which heralds of the birth of Jesus through the use of texts from biblical arables and from other Gospel narratives combined with images of everyday experiences, such as church bells, birds, wat